City Plans to Save $1M By Slashing Spending on…Paper

November 2, 2010

In case you were wondering what, exactly, City Hall hemorrhages its money on, the Daily News reports today on an internal memo sent to city workers, announcing that the Bloomberg administration plans to save $1 million by printing double-sided copies and not sending out holiday greeting cards (which explains why we never got that “Happy Arbor Day” card from the Parks Department).

The rule about double-sided copying is apparently a commonly flouted city law, but the Mayor’s office is now so concerned about economic hardship that it’s launching a “Quick Cost Savings program” to try and reduce costs. Starting with paper consumption. (Fun fact: in the past year, the city supposedly paid $7.5 million for paper alone.)

Via the DN:

“It will target needless and often hidden costs that, over the course of time, have become an accepted part of business,” Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith wrote in the memo, obtained by the Daily News.

“The savings will add up, and they will help us cultivate the culture of frugality necessary to weather tough times.”

The News also says the city has stopped buying bottled water and has ordered city agencies to slash their travel budgets by 20 percent (which would save $400,00 a year) and to stop sending out holiday and greeting cards, which the city estimates will save itself $50,000 a year. City agencies will have to send out e-cards instead.